Cricket | Women

Moreeng announced as new SA Women's coach

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Monday, announced that Hilton Moreeng will be the new coach of the national women's team. This comes after former coach, Yashin Ebrahim-Hassen's resignation.

Moreeng, who is himself a former provincial and franchise player, representing the then "Diamond Eagles" (now the Chevrolet Knights) understands what it takes to be both a player and a coach. More importantly, he has experience coaching the Griquas junior women's team, which gives him valuable experience on how to work and deal with women cricketers.

CSA Senior Cricket Manager, Max Jordaan said: "Hilton is more than qualified to assume the position as the Head Coach for the National Team. His is technically qualified as a Level III coach, has played the game at a professional level, is academically trained as a human movement specialist and overall ready for higher responsibility within cricket.

"He exudes the ethos and commitment appropriate to such a responsibility. I wish him and his squad the best for their tour to the West Indies and India."

Moreeng will lead the Proteas women to the 2013 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup which will take place from 31 January to 17 February in Mumbai, India. South Africa, will join Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand in Group B. They will face the latter, who are also the 2009 tournament final runners up, in their first match on 1 February.

Moreeng is looking forward to the great leap forward in his coaching career; "I am humbled and honoured that CSA have chosen me to fill this position. I am ready to do right by the squad and to give this new role my all," he said.

South Africa are among the eight squads that will take part in the tournament that will see England defend its title. They qualified for the tournament during the qualifiers competition in Bangladesh last November where they took eighth place in the Reliance ICC Women's ODI rankings.

South Africa will travel to the Caribbean in early January to take part in a five-match ODI and two-match Twenty20 series to help prepare for the sub-continent conditions they will be playing under in India.

"The West Indies pre-World Cup tour is right around the corner and I'm confident that the Windies will give us the kind of high quality competition that we require for our preparation. A South Africa/West Indies match is always filled with thrills and entertainment and we look forward to going up against them," Moreeng continued.

He also has high hopes for his new charges' performance in the World Cup.

"I am fortunate in that I have a really good squad of players and I believe that the talent that we have on hand will help us get far. I am aiming for a place in the semifinals," he concluded.